The Grinch
by TENNIS-w-GUITARS
Summary: My little boy become the Grinch in my mind. The tale with the shrinking heart I heard as a kid, the story of the sad lonely monster. Ace, all along through his life had his heart swelling, shrinking, almost disappearing and then, all of a sudden, I was worried it was too big to even fit his body anymore.


**Summary:** My little boy became the Grinch in my mind. The tale with the shrinking heart I heard as a kid, it was Ace's story- almost, not quite. Ace continued on, trough hardships and life. All along with his heart swelling, shrinking, almost disappearing and then all of a sudden I was worried it was too big to even fit his body anymore.

* * *

** The Grinch**

I understood the hate he felt towards me. I expected it and accepted it but still, it stung.

Somehow, where I am we can feel the emotions of those we left behind- the living. I don't understand that or why it is that way, but I have long since accepted it.

When Ace's mother joined me, I smiled softly at her as she gracefully ran and jumped into my arms, toppling us over. I had missed her, but I knew I would see her soon.

I saw Ace's birth from where I was. It wasn't very pretty, but his screams were. His cries, sounding so much of youth and innocence, were the epitome of beauty. The shrill sound filled the room, and that was the day Ace's mother joined me.

He had freckles sprinkled around his face and no teeth. Only a few strains of curly, black hair rested a top his head. From a certain angle, even with his childish skin and tiny bones, he looked like me. I was proud. I could almost feel the small beating of his heart resounding like a drum, filled with life. Filled to the brim.

Garp took him away, whisked him onto a ship and sailed the sea not even three hours after his birth. So, in a way, my son has always known the sea. Since day one. I wonder if Ace himself knew and if that would make him happy? Garp left him in the care of a rough woman, who never really spoke with her heart. Besides her, and a handful of bandits Ace was alone on that mountain. The problem with Ace growing up without... a partner, or a friend was that he felt quite lonely. He smiled as a toddler, but soon the smiles fell, gracing his face with a permanent frown, that, even when he was deep in thought as teenager he still reverted to. My boy's heart was clenching with the pain of solidarity. It hadn't shrunk yet, but it felt so iffy. His heart was teetering from that of a giants to that of an ants.

When he met Sabo, I felt relieved. Finally, a companion! Not like stinky, rough, old Daddan! Well, the woman was full of tough love, but at least Sabo expressed it. Ace needed that. Sabo was a silent but strong boy. He was of that type, and the boy was different from the rest. Ace let himself get attached. Ace loved his new friend quite dearly. It was the first time I had seen it- I leapt for joy and chuckled loudly from my stance away from the living. Because Ace always seemed so angry, so sad, so... lonely all the time that I had grown worried. He may have looked like me, and acted like me, but my son was definitely not me. He was of his own, and for that, I am very much thankful. But I worried anyways.

My son, one day, was in an old smelly alley on his way home from a trade- minding his own business when a bunch of bums walked by. They were the kind of bums who knew nothing and had crap jobs and a quick tongue to complain. My sweet, little lad Ace had his ears tainted with evil words, and his heart finally began rotting that day. It was to be expected, really. But it wasn't much fun watching. The older men's taunts of the "evil pirate king" how he was "weak", and "cowardly". Lies, of course, I smiled from where I was at their words. I though, naively, Ace should know, right? That his daddy wasn't like that- Ace knew better.

Wrong. Strong, purposeful punches were thrown, and Ace's heart shriveled up a little as his small fists, caked in blood, clenched as he walked away from the broken bodies. His heat shrunk a little, just like in that old fairy tale, the one I read as a kid- the Grinch. Slowly, it began shrinking, and even the strong connection he had with Sabo couldn't save it. At least, not right then.

**.**

Luffy, sun shinning Luffy. Thank the sea for that kid. He came strolling along, on a day Ace felt quite low, and was spat on by my son. The kid's reaction was hilarious, and even Rouge was laughing with me at Luffy's face. But, unsurprisingly, the young boy soon started laughing as well. Then, all of a sudden, I felt it.

Luffy.

I could already tell his strength. I smiled, rooted for him and chuckled at the story that began to unfold before me. The tale of the three brothers; all powerful, all strong willed. I only laughed on with their antics of measuring strength. Their spars were impressive for children, but I wouldn't have expected any less from my little Ace.

They wanted to be pirates- all three of them. Every time I remember that and every time they declared it, I heard myself screaming cheers. My wife sat next to me, laughing loudly as I cheered on the children, the great pirates of the future. Of course, the living could not hear us, the dead, but I roared with laughter and cheered anyway.

My son, my sad little son became the fire, the light. He smiled more and maybe it was because of Luffy, but I think it was both the brothers. The combination, the insurance of having not only one, but two. Sabo, in all his silent intelligence and Luffy, the boy who never seemed shut up. The fact that Ace not only needed someone, but was needed. The Grinch's heart turned back outwards, his shriveled up childhood heart growing ever so much, making all the difference.

**.**

As time grew on, more events occurred that shaped my little boy. Luffy found out of me, and though I was thankful for his light, from where I stood I could feel Ace's pain as he talked of his cursed blood, and his good for nothing father.

As I said, I expected it; Long since accepted it. But it still stung.

Then Sabo "died". I haven't seen the child around, and after my life, and the lives I've watched, I've learned not to believe anything till I see it, till I feel it. And even now, I haven't.

My son's heart didn't shrink away that day into nothing. When Sabo died, I think Ace's heart grew quite a lot. His unshed tears filled his powerful heart and his heart may have broken, the dam that surrounded collapsed; showering the freckled face boy with tears while on a cliff facing the endless sea, but it was stitched up very quickly. The size of the heart still intact and in fact, it grew a little at the tragedy.

They went on. Continued. They lived, fought, breathed and bathed in life and soon after, or so it seemed, Ace left home.

I smiled when Daddan cried, and then at her attempt to hold her motherly tears in. When she joined us, I promised myself I would have a drink with that old hag. I wondered how Rogue felt about her, and when I asked she simply replied "Eternally grateful. And maybe a little jealous." I left it at that, and watched my son hop onto his little ship in the big, big sea.

As Ace waved goodbye to his little brother I felt worry seep through me. It was Ace, his feelings enveloping me. He was worried about leaving his little brother behind. I smiled fondly; the Grinch's heart had grown a little more.

**.**

I laughed as he met my ship's cabin boy. Shanks has grown much stronger indeed, that red headed brat. I couldn't contain the broad grin on my face as they spoke excitedly, face light up with shinning eyes as they told tales of glorious adventures, and the fire burning beneath them making their timeless faces glow. They looked so amazing.

When he challenged Whitebeard and instead fought Jimbei, I smiled. My rival will always be my rival, but what some don't understand was he was a worthy rival. Whitebeard, that man has my undying respect. And even though Ace was my son, I knew. I knew that him trying to kill Whitebeard so frantically, so... simply would never get the job done.

My heart churned lightly when Whitebeard offered Ace a spot in his family. I let it slide though- Ace deserved a family. He deserved a father.

On that day of acceptance, the Grinch's heart expanded a little. And so, bigger it became.

**.**

My son laughed more. After he accepted his family, it seemed, he smiled more. He saved them, they saved him and they lived quite... There isn't a word for it. And if there is, I don't know it. But it was... amazing. Amazing I could settle for. They ate together, drank together, laughed, battled and lived together. It reminded me of my ship, and of piracy and of life on the sea. Its special, its amazing, and it never ends. Even now, I have adventures. But this is about Ace, not me.

When Thatch dies, my b- the Grinch's heart shrank again. I didn't expect it, and I grasped my chest, fighting for breath as my son sobs very quietly alone in a storage closet on his ship. For once, he is not there to pillage the food. He only cried for fifteen minutes, and it was the first time he cried in years. Since Sabo, in fact. No one knew of my son's tears, no one but my wife and me. No one knew that my son's heart had shrunk again, unexpectedly.

I believe it shrunk, instead of grew like with Sabo's death, because Thatch was murdered. Betrayed. And by his own family. So, it shrank, due to hate and the thirst for revenge.

He set out, on his own little boat, standing proud on the oceans depths, no fear present in his heart as he set out for vengeance.

**.**

Ace, my not so little Ace, was always very happy with his family. He still loved them, even though he was gone from them. But, often, he missed his little brother. So when they finally reunited in that hot city, I smiled at their exchanges. So casual, so natural. My son had really missed him. Luffy seemed very happy, and my son was content at his safety. I chuckled when, in the middle of their walk to the desert, Ace pulled the man he guessed correctly as the first mat aside. Only ever so slightly so they trailed behind. Ace talked to him very casually at first, asking of how he joined with Luffy. Ace seemed to glad, so happy at the story he heard from the green haired swordsman. Ace's laughs overlapped mine at the tale, of the journey of the straw-hat pirates since then. When they were nearing the end of their conversation, and their camp for the night, Ace slowed down even more, letting the little raccoon be pulled along even more softly and slowly behind the first mate. The green haired man seemed curious as to why Ace was slowing down, but played along. So, Ace told him. Ace told him, skimping on the details of his heritage, of his story of him and Luffy. It was vague, the version my son told, but I knew the straw-hat crewmember was content, and wouldn't pry. When "Zoro" had asked Ace what it was that he wanted to do, Ace didn't seem surprised, and neither was I. It seemed obvious from the start Ace wanted something. All Ace said was that he wanted Luffy to be looked after, and was glad he had such an amazing bunch of friends to do so. Ace smiled fondly as he answered, but Zoro only stared straight ahead, into the setting suns that dipped past the sandy hills. His black eyes followed the brother talked about so amiably, his captain and replied, very quietly, that I even had to strain my ears to hear:

" I would have protected Luffy with my life, even without you asking. And I still will. Rest easy, Fire Fist."

The green haired man seemed to desire the end of the conversation quickly; besides, his captain had chosen that time to call for him. Despite the tiring day, Zoro ran, tugging the sleeping raccoon on the sled along with him to catch up with Luffy. Ace didn't seem surprised at the first mates response, but he smiled and laughed as he ran to catch up with everyone too. My little boy, who wasn't little anymore, had his heart grown a little that day. The Grinch's heart grew at the reassurance that his brother's heart will always beat, even and long after his own.

**.**

The sky twisted, clouds being pulled into a certain spot in the blue and that the view my son saw as he died. I will not speak of the war, or how touching it was that Luffy came or barged into the prison, or how I had long since stopped rooting for my son to live. I've known for a while now, you see. So has Rogue. We felt fate closing in on our child. We didn't know when, or how, but we knew it would be soon. When the situation occurred, we learned how soon. His defeat wasn't inevitable. It was surprising, but I didn't want to kill the man who doomed my son. I wanted to destroy him. Alas, that's another matter.

As I said, I won't speak of the time in prison my son had, or the torture. Though I will say, he did me proud- he didn't scream once. Not a word uttered from his lips as agony encased him. I cringed though, and I won't lie, my heart shrunk just watching him hurt.

Hope rose up in my mouth, about to bubble over into shouts of joy when my son was free! I thought, maybe my feeling of his death was wrong! Maybe we were just hungry, or in need of more sex- that's why Rogue and I felt this feeling in our gut! It had nothing to do with Ace!

When my son declared he wanted to live, and was set free I thought: FATE. He was going to live! Their smiles, brotherly and all were filled with the warmth of family, of love. And the heart that shriveled up once more on the stand for execution grew a million times that day. It became so huge; I thought it wouldn't fit my son's body anymore. I thought it would make him explode- I felt its weight, its size in my own chest and I wondered how my little lad, my Ace's heart grew that big at all. I thought I knew it all. Ace, the little, sad lonesome boy who wouldn't accept his heritage, suddenly that part of him was gone. The part of his that didn't accept his father. Him denying me. It was eradicated. I can't pinpoint where but it was between Whitebeards shouts of fatherhood and Luffy's exclamation of brotherhood. It was beautiful, my son had not only accepted me as his blood, but he didn't care! My son didn't care.

For the shortest time, my son was truly free. Bombs crashing around them, they ran. Tag teaming the works, marines loosing, marines hope dwindling, it was beautiful. It was glorious. It was life and pirate hood and freedom and despite the ever present and continually growing dread in my gut my eyes were glued to the world before me as my son sprang and sprinted to freedom with his brother at his side.

And then, my son became Ace; who Ace always was.

He turned around, and defended his father. Not me, Ace defended his_ real_ father. And I felt like crying- not out of sadness, not out of joy, not out of the feeling of replacement, but out of pride. I felt it, you see. I knew he would die right there. And that's why tears streamed down my face- not because my son would finally join me, not because I would meet him.

The crystalline tears falling from my eyes were because he was my son, but he wasn't at the same time. Ace was strong, not weak. He was full of pride, and he had his standards. And I knew right then, this was the freest my sons ever been.

And as he protected his brother, as he would have any other given day, the fist of hellish magma bursts through his back from the center of his chest and I soared and let the tears fall even harder.

The magma didn't hit his heart. His heart, which even as it slowed, hadn't shrunken at all. The Grinch's- Ace's heart hadn't disappeared like a weaker man's would've.

It was still there, bigger then life itself, and as he uttered his last words to his devastated brother, plastered a glee smile on his face, I looked at my son with pride. No, not because hes dying.

But because he truly lived.

* * *

**:A/N:: Okay, so.. Yeah. I guess this could be considered "Spiritual" but, to me, that has something to do with God and religion, not dead people. But, ehh, either way. Oh, and the guy narrating this? In case uou didn't understand (don't worry, happens to me too) was Roger. Ugh. I love Roger, but i don't think i got his character right at all :( I feel like he would have been more piratey and manly. But, whatever, for this story Roger was a little(/a lot) OOC!**

**And this story kinda had the same concept of another story i wrote for a different anime, so... Sorry! :/ I just had to write this out.**

**Can i just put this out there? I love Ace. And whenever i think of Ace my heart kinda drops a little cause hes dead. But, if i think about it, its done. Its all done and over with, and i wouldn't change it. I woulnd't change the story so Ace lived. Not only because of all the character development that came with it, but also cause, as sad as it sounds _that_ is a little piece of Ace. He died standing up for what he believed it and hes a fucking badass for it. So yes, sometimes i wished he'd lived, but whenever i do, i just can't see his future after marineford. **

**I just had to get that out, my brother wouldn't listen to my constant chatter of One Piece feels so, taadaaa- all for you! Feel free to disagree, its just what i think.**

**Ugh. This wasn't my best writing, but REVIEW. Please? :)**


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